The Right-Wing Media

The Washington Post is generally even-handed in its editorial content, but today is a banner day for conservatives, and most of the pieces are worth reading.

• The lead editorial is an unabashed taking-to-the-woodshed of NARAL Pro-Choice America, who plumbed new depths in abortion politics with their television ad attacking Supreme Court nominee John Roberts. Tellingly, even the NARAL spokeswoman won't stand by the claims of the ad.
• The second editorial is a big boost for the administration, praising America's much-greater-than-warranted contributions to relief in the Darfur crisis. Besides America and the North Sea nations, very little has been contributed, most notably by the Arab states (who should care very deeply about Sudan) and the Chinese (who profit from Sudanese oil). With all the America-bashing we've grown accustomed to, it's nice to hear someone else called onto the carpet for a change. More importantly, the Post concludes by quoting Joseph Britt: "We've heard a lot since Sept. 11, 2001, about how Arabs feel humiliated, ashamed, resentful at being regarded by the West as inferior in some way... Perhaps it is time to say plainly that the way to earn respect is through deeds worthy of respect." Indeed.
• On the opinion side, Henry Kissinger has a lengthy piece on strategy in Iraq as it compares to Vietnam. The most notable things about the article were (a) Kissinger's detailed grasp of the nuances of conflict, (b) a conservative being willing to compare Vietnam and Iraq at length, (c) Kissinger's ability to spin Vietnam as an American victory. This last notwithstanding, it had never previously occurred to me to look at the military aspect of Vietnam. Like Iraq, the conflict was so politicized that it seems tactics must have been irrelevant. And yet it is inescapable that the ultimate political judgment, especially in hindsight, was decided on the field of battle. My conclusion: anyone who wants to be able to talk intelligently about the Iraq conflict should read Kissinger's piece.
• In last place is a boneheaded sop to liberals. Eugene Robinson complains about the over-coverage on cable news of stories on lost white women. He correctly deduces that the driving force is ratings, not newsroom bias, and that [white] America still sees minorities as "the Other", and does not identify with them. He does not think to identify the equal attitude among minorities: that they do not identify with whites. As long as blacks and Hispanics hold themselves out as "different" and maintain that whites cannot understand their American experience, we'll believe them. Compare that to modern Asian immigration: Asians identify with the majority, and in response are considered, after a generation or two, one of "Us".